Quantitative liver functions after 70% hepatectomy.
Following 70% hepatectomy on rats the galactose elimination capacity, taken as a measure of the cytosolic liver function, was reduced from 2.55 +/- 0.48 to 1.27 +/- 0.19 (mean +/- SEM) mumol/min. Six hours later it was restored to control values. The prothrombin index, representing the function of the endoplasmic reticulum, was reduced from 1.13 +/- 0.02 to 0.34 +/- 0.02 (arbitrary units) after 12 h, and it was restored after 96 h. The rapid normalization of the initial fall in the capacity to metabolize galactose reflects a two- to three-fold increase of the galactose metabolizing capacity of the remaining liver. This study demonstrates that liver functions are dissociated in time following 70% hepatectomy in the rat, and that the galactose elimination capacity is restored before regeneration can compensate for the loss in liver cell mass.
D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000502:physiology; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
D011516:Prothrombin; D005690:Galactose